Tufting-machine.



R. L. KENYON.

TUFTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3l, 19H. RENEWED FEB. 5,1917.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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R. L. KENYON. TUNING MACHINE. APPLICATIOH FILED MAY 3l, 19H. RENEWED FEB. 5, 1917 Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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Inventor? dttor'ney TED STA ROY Il. KENYON', OFWAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO R. Il. KENYON COM- PANY, 0F WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

TUFTING-MACI-IINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2*?, MM?.

Application filed May 31, 1911, Serial No. 630,415. Renewed February 5, 1917. Serial No. 146,857.

To all wwm it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROY L. KnNroN, a citizen. of the United States, residing at lVaukesha, in the county of Waukesha and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Fufting- Machines, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to \the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

rlhis invention relates to means for tufting cushions and the like with buttons and wire.

ts main objects are to facilitate the process of tufting such articles and to improve the product.

It consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and defined in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts inthe several figures.

Figure l is a vertical section from front to rear of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse'vertical section on the line 2 2, Fig. l, showing the needle plunger or support withdrawn into normal position andthe needle with a wire and button placed thereon, ready for insertion in a cushion or the like; Fig. 3 is a plan view of that portion of the machine shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2, showing the plunger thrust upward, the presser foot lowered and the needle removed; Figs. 5 and '6 are enlarged detail views in perspective showing the preferred formof looped tufting wire used in the machine and the manner of connecting the buttons therewith, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the needle.

The machine comprises generally two opposing compressing members, one-of which i is movable toward and from theother and is formed with a central openingin alinement with a similar opening in theother;

l a detached tubular needle for holding a tufting wire connectedfwith a button; a

needle support or plunger yfor thrusting the needle with a tufting wire through a cushion or other article held between `the compressing members, and means for guiding or holding the needle in place on the needle plunger or support.

Referring to the drawing, and more par# ticularly to Fig. 1, a is a rounded projectionor block constituting one of the comu pressing members formed or mounted on a 4 work suporting leaf or table l), which is carried by brackets c extending forwardly end of a reciprocative bar or Vslide it, which is guided in a vertical sleeve on an overhanging arm of the standard or frame d.

Below the leaf or table b and in alinement with the central openings in the compressing members a and e, av reciprocative needle plunger or support y' is guided in ja vertical sleeve of a bracket is attached to the under side of said leaf or table, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The upper end of the plunger or support j is enlarged `and formedv with a cavity or seat to receive and hold a tufting button.

l designates a detached or removable needle solid and pointed at one end having a tubular or hollow shank open at the opposite end and transversely notched or slotted through its open end, as shownin Fig. 7 to receive a looped tufting wire m, and the eye loop of a tufting button n with which the looped wire is engaged at one end, as shown in Fig. 2. v

The needle is held in place and guided in operative relation tothe plunger or support j and other parts of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2, by jaws or gu1des 0, movable laterally toward and from the path of the plunger or support y' in bearings p on the under side of the leaf or table b. rlhe jaws are beveled or inclined outwardly at the top and bottom to permit the enlarged upper end of the needle plunger or support j to force them apart and pass between them both upwardly and downwardly. They are pressed toward each other and yieldingly held against opposite sides of the needle Zhor of the plunger or support j by rocker` arms g which are pivoted at their lower ends to thebracket k and engagedV at their upper ends with the outwardly extended shanks of the jaws and by springs r connecting said rocker arms with projections on said bracket.

For separating the jaws o to receive the needle Z between them, one of the rocker arms g is formed or provided at its lowei end with an extension s, and a rocker shaft Z parallel with the pivot of said rocker arm is provided with an arm a in position to engage with the extension s and at its front end with a crank handle o, as shown in Figs.l l, 2 and al..

By turning the handle fv to the left or toward the needle support or plunger y' the upper end of the adjacent arm l is rocked to the right and the jaw 0. connected therewith is withdrawn from the other jaw so that the needle can be placed in position between them. The outer ends of the bearings 29 serve as stops by engagement with the arms q, to limit the inward movement of the jaws o by the springs r, as shown by Fig. 2.

For operating the presser foot or movable compressing member e and the needle plunger or support j, the following provision is made:

A treadle or foot lever 'w fulcrumed in a stand .fr on the base of the frame CZ, is connected at its rear end by a rod jz/ with the rear arm of a lever a, which is fulcrumed to the overhanging arm of said frame and is connected at its front end with the bar or slide h. Adjacent to its front end thetreadle or lever 'LU is connected by a rod 2 with the rear end of a lever 3, which is fulcrumed to a bracket 4 on the standard or frame Z and connected by a link 5 with the lower end of the needle plunger or support y'. A spring 6 connecting the rear arm of the treadle or lever w with the frame base, tends to withdraw the bar or slide h. to its upper position said treadle or lever wall not move the needle plunger or support until the presser foot or compressing member c has descended upon a cushion or other article and pressed the same firmly against the opposing member a.

In the operation of the machine, the needle Z, furnished with a wire to which a button is attached, is placed between the jaws o with the button resting in the cavity in the upper end of the plunger or support y', as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, one of the jaws o being withdrawn by turning the crank handle o inward to receive the needle, as hereinbefore explained. A cushion or other article to be tufted is then placed on the leaf or table b between the opposing compressing members a and e in proper position for the insertion of the wire and setting of the but- Lamas? tons connected therewith.' The treadle or foot lever w is now depressed and operates j 'first to move the presser foot or compressing drawn by the operator, leaving `the upper j looped end of the wire' fm, protruding and eX- posed in said opening. The eye loop of a button is engaged with the loop of the wire and t-he treadle being released, the presser foot e and the plunger y' are withdrawn and returned to their original positions, as shown in Fig. l, bythe spring 6. The needle is directed in proper position into and guided through or partially through the cushion or other article by the jaws 0, which yield outwardly when the enlarged upper end of the plunger j in moving both upward and downward, engages the bevels or inclines on the lower and upper sides of the jaws. The cushion or other article is then moved into another position and the operations above mentioned are repeated until it is completely tufted.

Double looped wires m', formed as shown in Figs. 5 and G, are preferably used in the machine, these wires being each supplied with a single button '/1, and inserted in theneedle Z with their double looped ends foremost. After the wire is inserted in a cushion or other article, as shown in Fig. 4, and the needle withdrawn, the eye loop of a button is crowded between the two upper loops around one of them, as shown by Fig. 5, and then` after passing the free ends of the loops, drawn back upwardly into engagement with both, as shown in Fig. 6. This form of wire makes a Very strong and durable fastening.

For tufting cushions or other articles of different thicknesses, the presser foot or upper compressing member e is adjusted up or down as required, in the bar or slide h, and the rod y is connected with one of the several holes in the rear arm of lever z to produce the desired traverse or movement of the presser foot.

For diiierent kinds of work, compressing members a and e of different shapes and sizes may be provided, these members being easily removed and replaced in the machine.

Various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without materially affecting the principle and operation of the machine and without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a tufting machine the combination versely slotted at the other end to receive the eye loop of the button with a tufting loop and adapted to be seated endwise on the back of the button, and means for thrusting the needle while so seated on the button, through the work and seating the button in its final position thereon.

2. In a tufting machine, the combination of a work support having an opening therein, a perforated cup-shaped presser foot, one of said parts being movable toward and from the other, a needle having a tubular shank open at the end to receive a tufting wire connected with a button, and means for compressing the work between said support and presser foot and thrusting the needle through the compressed work into the opening in the presser foot.

3. In a tufting machine the combination with means for holding the work, of a needle support having a seat for holding a tufting button with its eye loop on the exposed side thereof, a needle of less diameter than the head of the button having a point at one end and a tubular shank open and transversely slotted at the other end toreceive4V the eye loop of the button with a tufting loop and adapted to be seated on the back of the button, means for confining the needle in proper position while it is so seated on the button and is thrust through the work, and means for thrusting the needle through the work and seating the button in its linal position thereon. f

a. In a tufting machine the'combination of I two opposing perforated work compressing members one of which 1s movable toward and from the other, a removable tubular needle, means for holding and guiding said needle in line with the openings in said members, and means for moving one of said compressing members toward and from the other and thrusting the needle' through the work held between them.

5. In a tufting machine the combination of two opposing perforated work compressing members one of which is movable toward and from the other, a needle support in line with the openings in said compressing members, a. tubular needle, kneedle guiding jaws movable transversely to the path of the movable compressing member and adapted to hold the needle in line with the opening therein, and means for operating the movable compressing member and thrusting the needle through the work held between said members. v

6. In a tufting machine the combination of two opposing perforated work-compressing members one of which is movable toward and from the other, a needle support in line with the openings in said compressing members, a tubular needle, yielding jaws normally held in position to support and guide the needle in line with the openings in said compressing members, means for separating said jaws to receive and permit the removal of the needle, and means for operating the movable compressing member and thrusting the needle through the work.

7. In a tuftingmachine the combination of a. stationary work support having an opening therein, a reciprocating presser foot movable toward and from said support and having an opening in line with the opening therein, a reciprocating plunger guided in line with theopenings in said work support and presser foot, a tubular needle adapted to be removably set on said plunger, means for guiding said needle on said plunger in line with the opening in the presser foot, and means for operating said presser foot and plunger.

8. In a tufting machine the combination .0f a stationary work support having a rounded work compressing block thereon with an opening registering with an opening in the support, a rounded reciprocating presser foot movable toward and from said support and having an opening in line with the opening in said block, a reciprocating plunger guided in line with the openings in said block and foot and hav-y v ward and from said support and having an t opening ,in line with the opening therein, a reciprocating plunger guided in line with the openings in said work support and presser foot, a removable tubular needle adapted to be carried by said plunger, and means for rst moving the presser foot toward said support and then moving the plunger with the needle toward the presser foot.

10` In a tufting machine the combination of a work support having an opening therein, a reciprocative member movable toward and from said support, a presser foot adjustably attached to said reciprocative member and having an opening registering with the opening in said support, a tbular needle, a plunger adapted to thrust said needle through the work compressed between said support and presser foot, means for operating said presser foot and plunger, and means for varying the extent of movement of the presser foot.

11. In a tufting machine the combination of a, work support having an opening therein, a reciprocating presser foot movable toward and from said support and having an opening registering with the opening therein, a tubular needle, a reciprocative plunger arranged in alinement with the openings in said support and foot for thrusting the needle through the work while compressed between said support and foot, and a lever connected with said foot and plunger and adapted to first rmove the presser foot toward the plunger and then move both lthe presser foot and plunger toward each other.

l2. In a tufting machine the eol'nbination of means for compressing and holding the article to be tufted, -a detached tubular needle, a plunger for thrusting the needle through the Compressed article, needle holding and guiding jaws Inovable transversely to the plunger, means for yieldingly holding said jaws in operative position, and means for manually moving said jaws apart to reeeive the needle and permit its removal.

In witness whereof I hereto aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROY L. KENYON. I/V'itnesses:

CI-nxs. L. Goss, ALICE E. Goss. 

